Discovering Russian culture in the U.S.: March 27 – April 10

On March 29, 142 years ago Leo Tolstoy started to work on this novel Anna Karenina. Source: Yasnaya Polyana Estate Museum

From celebrating the birthday of Bolshoi Theater and Anna Karenina, to recalling the Alaska land deal between Russia and the United States and commemorating the Second World War in photographs, the next two weeks are full of cultural events for people of all tastes.

In the upcoming two weeks,
the luckiest Russophiles in the U.S.
without any doubt are New Yorkers. Because starting from
March 27, New York
State will host Russian
American History Month for the fourth time.

The first in a series of
more than 20 events is a benefit concert on the occasion of the 175th
Anniversary of the birth of the composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Those who attend
the event will not only listen to his music, but also can support young
patients from Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in United States and Downside Up, a
Russian non-profit organization that provides support and advice for families
raising children with Down’s syndrome.

Other events include
various musical concerts, a celebration of Yury Gagarin on April 12, and a theatrical
presentation based on the life work of Russian-American writer Sergei Dovlatov.
The 9th International Children’s Festival of Russian Culture (starts on April
18), and HD broadcast of the ballet Swan
Lake from the Royal
Opera House.

On March 28, 1776,
Catherine II granted prosecutor Prince Pyotr Urusov, the "privilege"
of "maintaining" theater performances of all kinds, including
masquerades, balls and other forms of entertainment, for a period of 10 years.
And it is from this date that Moscow’s
Bolshoi Theater traces its history.

In the beginning the troupe
included only 43 people: 13 actors, nine actresses, seven dancers, a
choreographer and 13 musicians. Opera and drama groups weren't divided and were
comprised from invited foreign stars and serfs.

Now the Bolshoi is
undoubtedly one of the symbols of Russia. But don’t be sad if you can’t
visit it soon, because in February the theater’s administration and the Google
Cultural Institute unveiled a virtual 3D tour of the historic building, its new
stage and three digital exhibitions from the collections of its museum.

Another way of enjoying
Bolshoi ballets is to watch them at the movies. Broadcasts of Prokofiev’s Romeo
and Juliet will be screened from March 8 through May 11. Check out dates
and locations here.

On March 29, 142 years ago
Leo Tolstoy started to work on this novel Anna Karenina. Tolstoy’s wife later
recalled that on that day he opened a book by Pushkin and suddenly became
fascinated with one phrase: “Guest were arriving at the dacha” («Гости съезжались на дачу...»).

In the evening he brought a
sheet of paper bearing the famous words “Everything had gone wrong in the Oblonsky household.”

And those with an advanced knowledge
of Russian can watch an online “live” version of the novel, based on an online
reading marathon in October 2014 that was watched in more than 106 countries.
Unfortunately it has only Russian subtitles, but we think this will encourage
you to learn the Russian language.

March 30 is notable for yet
another historical event which RBTH can’t ignore – this day 148 years ago the
Russian Empire sold Alaska to the United States.
On March 30, 1867, in
Washington, D.C., the parties signed the agreement to sell 1.5 million hectares
of Russian property in America for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents per acre
($4.74/km2) — a purely symbolic sum.

The transfer ceremony took
place in Sitka
(Novoarkhangelsk) on October 18, 1867. Russian and American soldiers paraded in
front of the governor's house; the Russian flag was lowered and the American
flag raised amid peals of artillery. That’s why nowadays Alaska Day is
celebrated on October 18.

If you are not able to make
it to Alaska, you can always visit Russia's former settlement of Fort Ross (CA). This museum will be celebrating Alaska Native Day on May 16, so you have plenty
of time to prepare.

In March 2014, a ridiculous petition
for the "secession of Alaska from the U.S. and accession to Russia" appeared on the
"We the People" section of the White House's website. It garnered
more than 35,000 signatures in several days, but led to nothing.

This case demonstrates the current
problems Russian-American relations are facing. That’s why we suggest you to
visit Thomas Graham’s lecture, Rethinking U.S.-Russian Relations, on April 1 at
the NYU Jordan Center.
Thomas Graham is a managing director at Kissinger Associates, Inc., where he
focuses on Russian and Eurasian affairs. Since 2011, he also been a senior
fellow at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, Yale University,
where he has taught courses on Russian affairs, U.S.-Russian relations, and
cybersecurity.

Those who live in Minnesota
have a real gem in Minneapolis
– The Museum of Russian Art. It opened its doors in 2001 and houses a
collection of Russian art from the 20th century, especially Soviet art. April 4
sees the opening of a new exhibition, titled “Romance in Soviet Art.”

The exhibition will feature
approximately 40 paintings covering the themes of love and marriage reflected
through the lens of art. Dating predominantly from the 1950s and 1960s, the
paintings depict young couples, weddings, family scenes, and, more often than
not, scenes of collective work as sites of courtship.

Find out about opening
hours and the museum’s other exhibits at their website.

On April 9 residents of
Houston (TX) are invited to a photo exhibition in the Houston Public Library devoted
to the Second World War. Titled “Allies: 70 years of Victory,” the exhibition consists
of photographs taken during WWII by various Soviet photojournalists, depicting
political figures of the highest rank, such as President Roosevelt, Sir Winston
Churchill, British Foreign Secretary Sir Anthony Eden and Soviet Foreign
Minister Vyacheslav Molotov.

Molotov,
Churchill and Roosevelt listening to the USA
national anthem upon disembarking at the Yalta
aerodrome, February 4, 1945. Photo by Smariy Gurariy. Source: Russian Cultural Center Our Texas

The other part of the
exhibit is a collection of photos by a famous Soviet photographer, Samariy
Gurariy. Gurariy documented major events and figures of the Soviet era and is
noted as being Stalin’s favorite photographer at the time of the Yalta
Conference in 1945.

“Lives of the Great
Patriotic War” explores the unknown story of 500,000 Jewish soldiers who fought
in the Soviet Armed forces against Nazi Germany during WWII (known in Russia as the
Great Patriotic War). As soldiers in the Soviet Red Army, these men and women
fought in the war’s largest and most ethnically diverse military force (30
million), for the country with the heaviest absolute losses (often claimed to
be over 26 million).